The Tragedy in Verona (Romeo and Juliet Essay Example)

Two lovers, both star crossed, doomed but yet unknowing of their tragic future. The death of Romeo and Juliet is a major point in Shakespeare's work of “Romeo and Juliet”. Many events led up to this unfortunate ending with Romeo and Juliet both committing suicide. Specifically, the  deaths were caused by numerous events created by characters. The blame for these events can be spread around from main characters to less important side characters. Indeed, it is true that there are numerous people to blame for the death of Romeo and Juliet. With that being said, one person does stick out above the rest. Of course, that person must be someone who drastically impacted the play. As such, there is one character who did. Lord Capulet must be held responsible for the death of Romeo and Juliet due to his patriarchal ways.

Certainly, Lord Capulet caused the death of Romeo and Juliet because of his patriarchal ways. At a time when fathers controlled their wife's and daughters, Juliet is subject to a forced marriage by Lord Capulet. Specifically, it can be noted that in the time of patriarchal authority “daughters were regarded as possessions…“ (Gibson) making it so Juliet has no choice for marriage (Mostly). The forced marriage by use of patriarchal authority (from Lord Capulet) will lead Juliet to take drastic measures, ending with two deaths both stringing back to patriarchal authority. In addition, more patriarchal authority is used throughout the story by none other than Lord Capulet. When Juliet refuses to marry Paris, Lord Capulet acts in a patriarchal manner telling Juliet to “hang thee [self], young baggage, [you] disobedient wretch! [and] I tell thee what: get thee to church o’ Thursday, or never after look me in the face'' (Shakespeare.3.5.166-170). The manner in which Lord Capulet acts is clearly patriarchal and will make Juliet feel as though she has no choice. As a result, Juliet will attempt a doomed plan that will later end in her death all because of Lord Capulet’s previous commanding attitude. Finally, as well as what has been mentioned above, Lord Capulet's patriarchal authority stretches to side characters as well as the main characters. Evidence of this can be found when Juliet’s “closet friend in the play, the nurse…”tries to convince her to consider the arranged marriage to Paris” (Dupler). To explain, the nurse  has been around longer than Juliet, making it so she has most likely seen Lord Capulet act in a patriarchal fashion and knows Juliet can't stop him. Since Lord Capulet’s patriarchal ways led Romeo and Juliet to make catastrophic decisions, he is to blame for both of their deaths.

Although Lord Capulet had a role in Romeo and Juliet’s death, some say that the patriarchal authority used by him does not cause people to kill themselves. Instead, Friar Lawrence is to blame for the death of Romeo and Juliet. For instance, Lord Capulet does not force Juliet to marry Romeo. Rather, Friar Lawrence marries Romeo and Juliet for his own desire of the two families' feuds ending. To specify, the friar directly says that he wishes their marriage will ”turn [their] households’ rancor to pure love (Shakespeare.2.3.99). Due to the fact that the Friar marries Romeo and Juliet for his own personal gain, later conflicts will emerge that end in the demise of two star crossed lovers. Despite this, Lord Capulet is still the one to blame for Romeo and Juliets’s ultimate end. Without Lord Capulet saying the marriage “... [will be] O’ Thursday, tell her, she shall be married to this noble earl” (Shakespeare.3.4.23-24), the fact Friar Lawrence married Romeo and Juliet would not matter. Everything comes back to when Lord Capulet forced an already married Juliet to marry Count Paris. Without the use of authority from Juliet’s father, none of the events that come later would have happened, meaning Lord Capulet is the main culprit of Romeo and Juliet’s death.

To conclude, Lord Capulet is the man behind the tragedy that befell on Romeo and Juliet. When it comes to a person's mind, one must think that Lord Capulet caused the death of Romeo and Juliet. There is an overwhelming amount of evidence throughout the play to provide support. The reasons for why Lord Capulet is to blame for this tragedy range from acting in a patriarchal manner  to provocative actions. In all, these combined to form one chaotic storm. The storm created led to terrible and rash decisions that would end in two lovers' deaths. To reiterate, there is one man and one man alone that has caused this demise. When thinking about the death of Romeo and Juliet, Lord Capulet must come to mind. Without his actions, the play and its climatic finale would not be the same. Just for a moment, think of what Romeo and Juliet would be like without Lord Capulet. Now one should be able to see, the man behind the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is… Lord Capulet.

Works Cited

Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet from The Folger Shakespeare. Ed. Barbara Mowat, Paul Werstine, Michael Poston, and Rebecca Niles. Folger Shakespeare Library, March 7, 2022. https://shakespeare.folger.edu/shakespeares-works/romeo-and-juliet/

Gibson, Rex, "What was Shakespeare's England Like?" In Cambridge Student Guide to Romeo and Juliet. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002.

Dupler, Douglas. "Critical Essay on 'Romeo and Juliet'." Drama for Students, edited by Anne Marie Hacht, vol. 21, Gale, 2005. Gale Literature Resource Center, https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.gvsu.edu/apps/doc/H1420064601/LitRC?u±lom_gvalleysu&sid=LitRC&xid=a90c0942.